


The Right Sort of Kindness

by wendymr



Category: Lewis (TV)
Genre: Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-28
Updated: 2014-09-28
Packaged: 2018-02-19 03:34:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 980
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2373002
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wendymr/pseuds/wendymr
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>Everyone’s been kind and sympathetic, he can’t deny that. He just can’t bear any more of it.</i>
</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Right Sort of Kindness

**Author's Note:**

  * For [owlbsurfinbird](https://archiveofourown.org/users/owlbsurfinbird/gifts).



> For Owlbsurfinbird, who is recovering from a nasty accident. Hope you feel better soon!

James collapses onto the side of the hospital bed, head spinning and pain pulsing everywhere north of his neck. Christ, if he can’t even pull on his trousers without being rendered incapable, how is he going to manage at home?

Of course, it’s not as if he doesn’t have a choice. He could tell someone the truth, and then he’d be kept in another couple of days. Monitored, medicated, helped to the loo and the shower, with dressing and undressing — another couple of days of utter humiliation.

That’s why he lied, said there’d be someone at home to keep an eye on him. So that he could be discharged now, today.

Everyone’s been kind and sympathetic, he can’t deny that. He just can’t bear any more of it.

It was all so ridiculous. A stupid bump on the head by another rower who didn’t look before raising his oars, followed by an unplanned dip in the Isis. He’d ended up here, the John Radcliffe, with suspected concussion and having swallowed more river-water than was good for him. That was two days ago now, and he’d expected to be back on his feet, completely fine, by this time. Instead, he’s as weak as a bloody baby.

Lewis had been in yesterday morning to see him. Well, he’d had to call in sick, of course, only he couldn’t focus for long enough even to dial the number, and one of the nurses had had to do it for him. Couple of hours later, his boss had turned up, all gruff concern and awkward encouragement. _You’ll be right as rain in no time. Bump on the head? I remember the time some bastard hit me with a ruddy metal bar an’ knocked me unconscious. Was back on the job the next day._

Lewis had meant well, but he’d felt as if he was being criticised for failing to complete a required task. 

At least at home he won’t have to smile and pretend gratitude for the kindness of strangers, or the trouble taken by his boss of barely four months. He won’t have to explain yet another time that, no, he doesn’t have family in Oxford. There’s no-one he’d like to have called. No, there’s nothing he needs. 

James closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, then opens his eyes slowly and looks around. The room’s stopped spinning. All right, he can risk getting to his feet. 

He slides to the edge of the bed and pushes off, and immediately sways. His arm’s gripped instantly. “Steady, lad.”

“Sir!” He whips his head around to look at Lewis, who seems to have appeared out of nowhere, and immediately winces as another sharp pain hits him.

“All right, no more moving from you.” Lewis’s hand slides around his back. “Reckon you should sit down again.”

“I...” he begins, but finds the words won’t come. _I’m going home_ , he wants to say. _You don’t need to feel obliged to visit me._

“Getting dressed to leave, yeah? Might need your shoes an’ socks on for that.” There’s amusement as well as kindness in Lewis’s tone. He gives James a gentle push back to the bed, and then kneels and proceeds to pull on the missing items. 

Christ, could this get any more humiliating?

“Hear you told the doctor you’d have someone at home to keep an eye on you, like.” Lewis is looking at him now, blue eyes knowing. All James can do is nod, and that hurts too. “Thing is, I can’t help wondering. Know you live on your own. You’ve never mentioned family. One of your band mates? Someone from university?”

James swallows and finds a point on the wall opposite to focus his gaze. He can’t look at his boss. Lewis can spot a lie faster than any copper he’s known. 

“Can understand you wanting to get out of here.” Lewis is still speaking, his tone matter-of-fact, not an ounce of judgement in sight. Nor the kindness he’s heard all around him since being admitted, that somehow makes James feel that he’s an object of pity. “Would want to be out as soon as I could meself. Thing is, though,” Lewis adds, rising to his feet, “that was a nasty bump you got. Not to mention the near-drowning. Far worse than that knock I had years ago. Laura Hobson talked to your doctor. Seems you were lucky not to have any permanent injuries.”

Yes, he’s been told that. He’s lucky. He got off lightly. Why does he still feel so _shit?_ Utterly useless; can’t even stand up without falling over.

“Anyway,” Lewis continues, “sorry, man. Can’t let you get away with lying to medical professionals.” James drops his head. So he’s stuck here for another couple of days. Damn it, anyway.

“You’ll just have to put up with my company for a bit,” Lewis is saying. James frowns. What...? “The spare room’s a bit small, but there’s space for a single bed an’ stuff. Can promise I won’t fuss, though I might have words to say if you try doing too much an’ end up arse over tit.”

“Sir...” he begins, struggling to find the words. “I don’t want to be any trouble...”

“Don’t be daft.” Lewis’s hand presses down on his shoulder. “Can’t imagine you givin’ me any trouble I can’t handle.” He smiles then, and there’s kindness in his eyes now — but it’s not the kindness of strangers. It’s the kindness of someone who, James realises with the force of a thunderclap, _cares_. Maybe even the kindness of a friend.

He has to swallow before he can speak. “Thank you, sir. I appreciate it very much.”

Lewis smiles again and the hand on his shoulder squeezes. “You’re all right, lad. Ready to go?”

This time, when he tries to stand, Lewis’s hand is already there to support him, and he doesn’t falter.


End file.
